Nicaraguan journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro received the Golden Pen of Freedom award during the 75th WAN-IFRA Congress. Chamorro dedicated the recognition to his colleagues in exile and to all Latin American journalists who face political persecution, prison and criminal violence in their countries.
On May 15, the Ninth Court of Criminal Sentencing in Guatemala granted a substitute measure of house arrest, without surveillance, to journalist Jose Rubén Zamora, as reported by Guatemalan media. However, the founder of elPeriódico remains in prison due to another case against him. "They offered for me to leave the country and I never […]
Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti is currently facing an investigation by the prosecutor's office for the alleged crime of bribery and his communications have been requested. Several organizations have said the case is retaliation for his journalistic work. Gorriti spoke with LJR about this investigation against him, his response to the attacks and even the lessons that he’s gained from this process.
Directors of El Faro (El Salvador) and Confidencial (Nicaragua) pointed to risk assessment, complete trust between editors and reporters, legal defense and psychological support as fundamental elements to preserve the well-being and safety of their teams in the face of harassment, threats and criminalization.
The board of directors of the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, the oldest international journalism awards in the world, drew attention to the cases of persecution against Gustavo Gorriti, from Peru; José Rubén Zamora, from Guatemala and the team of the Venezuelan investigative journalism organization Armando.info.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), in its mid-year report on the state of press freedom in the Americas, warned about judicial criminalization and the threats suffered by journalists in Paraguay. LJR spoke with journalists in the country who have been intimidated for doing their work.
The connection between press freedom and the many challenges facing the planet – including climate change – is the theme for the 2024 World Press Freedom Day. Under the motto “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis,” May 3 arrives with discussions on how to guarantee journalists’ work as well as strategies to confront disinformation and denial of climate change.
During the first quarter of 2024, the Observatory of Journalists in Guatemala recorded 22 attacks and restrictions on the press. Although there has been a small improvement compared to the same period last year, organizations and journalists remain concerned about the criminalization of the profession in the country.
Journalists reporting in Slovakia, Haiti, Nigeria and Ukraine shared at the 25th International Symposium on Online Journalism about attacks on press freedom due to their coverage of corruption and violence.
With their campaigns against independent media, the governments of several Latin American countries are beginning to threaten press freedom. Can Nicolás Maduro and Daniel Ortega's extreme of media blockages and closures be replicated?